UN Women Italy Launches National HeForShe Chapter in Italy

Rome, May 7, 2025 – UN Women and HeForShe are proud to announce the launch of the HeForShe Italy Chapter, a significant milestone in the global effort to advance gender equality through inclusive, locally driven action. This launch responds to growing demand from UN Women’s Regional Offices, Country Offices, and National Committees to establish dedicated national hubs that engage all sectors of society in accelerating progress toward gender equality.

The HeForShe Italy Chapter will serve as a platform to facilitate structured collaboration between government institutions, private sector companies, academia, and civil society. Its mission is to convene stakeholders, support gender-responsive policymaking, implement community-level programmes, and amplify advocacy efforts that promote equity and accountability. National Chapters such as Italy’s will also play a key role in generating research, running targeted campaigns, and reinforcing the vital connection between local action and global impact.

The HeForShe Italy Chapter launches with the support and leadership of prominent Italian advocates, including:

• Gino Cecchettin, founder of the Giulia Cecchettin Foundation, recognized for his commitment to inclusion and addressing gender-based violence;

• Alessio Boni, actor and storyteller who has addressed gender-based violence through theatre;

• Luca Fratini, coordinator for the Women, Youth, Peace and Security agendas at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

• Prof. Alessandro Rosina, demographer and policy advisor focused on inclusion;

• Corrado Tomassini and Filippo Agnello, leaders of UN Women Italy are also recognized for their sustained institutional and personal advocacy.

This national expansion builds upon the work of the UN Women Italy National Committee, established just one year ago as the newest addition to the network of 13 UN Women National Committees around the world. UN Women Italy’s work is grounded in three pillars: advocacy to drive social and cultural change; fundraising to support global initiatives; and engagement with public institutions to place gender equality at the center of the national political agenda.

"HeForShe is a strategic and distinctive project for us. Having men involved in the path towards equality is the only way forward if we want to have faster times in achieving a fair and inclusive society at a global level." - Darya Majidi, President of UN Women Italy

Italy’s national context underscores the urgency of these efforts. The country ranks 87th in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report. Workforce participation among women stands at just 56%, well below the EU average of 70%. One in three women in Italy has experienced some form of violence. These figures reflect broader systemic inequalities that the HeForShe Italy Chapter seeks to address.

By focusing on key priorities such as inclusive work environments, youth leadership, digital innovation, and the prevention of gender-based violence, HeForShe Italy aims to mobilize men and boys as proactive allies in this effort. These efforts will complement existing UN Women campaigns such as Orange the World, which spotlights the fight to end violence against women and girls every November.

The HeForShe Italy Chapter embodies this spirit of urgency and solidarity. By engaging men not only as supporters, but as central figures in the movement for equality, the Chapter reaffirms a simple but powerful truth: achieving gender equality requires all of us. HeForShe Italy invites every man and every ally in Italy—and around the world—to stand up, speak out, and take action. The time is now.